New Eclipse
by radioactive.spayeti
Summary: Set between New Moon and Eclipse, ignoring Eclipse. Edward and Bella are back together, but horrors arrive. Is Edward going to have to save Bella again? All in character. ExB. The title is New Moon and Eclipse put together, because i'm creative like that.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: i just started writing fan fictions. i have tons of chapters for this story saved on my computer, so i'll defintetely be adding more soon! please R&R!**

**enjoy! oh, and i don't own twilight. -sigh-**

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Staring into his eyes was like looking into a sea of topaz. I swear I could look into them forever and never get bored, but today we needed to make some progress. As if there weren't already enough temptation, Edward twined his fingers in my hair - something he rarely did - and pulled his face to mine. If I could have my way, I'd spend the majority of my time kissing Edward, but his "safe contact" rule was impossible to break.

My head began to spin and it took all my energy to concentrate on not fainting, I was sick of being weak. Sensing my lack of oxygen, all too quickly, he pulled away.

"Ah, Bella. You need to remember to breathe. We shouldn't get carried away like that." he murmured, hands still in my hair.

"Hmm… it always seems like I'm the only one that ever _wants _to get carried away." I said when the room stopped spinning. Edward sighed, releasing my head and putting his hands on my shoulders.

"You know that isn't true. I would love very much to get carried away with you, but you know it isn't that easy, Bella. I will never put you in danger of me again." He put a foot of distance in between us by taking a step back, but quickly took a step closer and molded his hand to my face.

"I trust you, Edward. I trust you with my life." I stared him into his eyes fiercely. He was going to believe me. He had to.

"You trust me more than I deserve…"he began, but ended his thought quickly when he saw the glare I was giving him. "Bella, we have had this discussion already, please, let's not argue again. Not now. Charlie will be up soon," suddenly, dark humor hardened his eyes, "and you want to tell him about your plans this weekend, don't you?"

I sighed. He knew that my weekend plans would be nearly impossible to get approval from Charlie, "Ugh, Charlie. How am I going to explain to him that I want to spend my weekend sleeping over at a house full of vampires?"

He smiled, eyes softening, "Hmm, well… no need to tell him that many details. I'm not sure the correct way to lie to him. You know, I shouldn't even be encouraging lying, not that I don't daily," he said with false innocence in his voice.

"Funny. I guess the truth is best in this case… but what if he says no?" I wondered, pulling him to sit next to me on the bed, fingers interlocked.

"Then I may have to kidnap you," he said, shooting me my favorite crooked smile, "but to be perfectly truthful, honesty is the best idea in this case. He wouldn't be happy if he found out you lied to see me. He seems to despise me enough already…" he trailed off, looking out the window. I wasn't having that; I needed to see his eyes so I could read them. So, I grabbed his face and turned it toward me with both hands.

"Edward, does it really matter what Charlie thinks? He can't stop me from loving you. No one can. So why harp on things we can't control?"

He chuckled - though I wasn't sure why - then sighed. "Yes, I guess that's true. Charlie just woke up and he's planning on talking to you before he goes to work, now act like you're asleep. No need for him to know that you spent the night up with me," he smiled playfully.

"Yeah, that wouldn't exactly go over well," I said as he lifted the sheets and I slipped inside, "Don't go anywhere, okay?" I asked, turning to see his face an inch from mine, his cool breath on my face.

"I swear not to leave. I'll just hide in your closet," he said, smiling again. He swiftly kissed my forehead and then he was gone.

"Thanks," I groaned when I heard a ghostly, mumbled chuckle. To show Edward I could act, I rolled over and curled into a ball, breathing steadily. Apparently my acting skills had not improved, I heard another laugh. "Thanks again."

"Anytime, love. Now, Charlie's coming, be prepared. No more thanking me." said the muffled voice. Sure enough, thirty seconds later my door slightly opened and a beam of light shot across my room.

"Hey, dad." I said, trying to sound groggy, which was easier than I thought, I guess staying up all night with Edward wasn't the best idea.

"Oh, hey Bells. I didn't mean to wake you." He said, obviously embarrassed he woke me up.

"Nah, its okay. I have something to ask you anyway."

"Oh, really? Uh, okay, sure." He said warily.

"Ha, no need to be worried, dad," I faked a laugh, trying to calm him.

"I'm not _worried_," he huffed, taking a step into the room. "What's on your mind, kiddo?"

"Well, I was just wondering if I could ask for your permission to go to Cullen's house for the weekend. Alice is apparently dying for a shopping partner and she really wants to have a sleepover before school starts." I said slowly, emphasizing the word 'Alice' and rushing past 'Cullen'.

"Would Edward be there?" asked Charlie, starting to look upset. I guess I didn't rush fast enough.

"Well, I'd imagine. It _is_ his house, dad," trying to sound a bit unsure for Charlie's sake.

"So you're sleeping over at your boyfriend's house?" he asked, unable to hide his irritation.

"Oh come on, dad. This is for Alice. Don't you trust me?" I said, rolling my eyes to add effect.

"Bells, you know that's not it. I trust you, I just don't know about _him,_" he cringed a bit at the word 'him'.

"Don't you trust me to pick company that is trust-worthy? Especially a boyfriend? You should respect my judgment. Please dad, he's not who you think he is," he didn't realize how true my statement was.

"Bella, I just… what happened September…" we shuddered at the same time I heard a very low growl from the closet, much too low for Charlie to catch. It wasn't a growl of anger; it was a growl of regret. "Well, you know. After that, how am I supposed to trust him? How are _you_ supposed to trust him?"

"That was a mistake, remember? A mistake. He's made it up to me. He's a man of his word and he promised me. Just please dad, give him a chance."

He seemed to think about my words for a while; I wondered what Edward was hearing him think about. "Fine. Make sure you stick with Alice, okay?"

"Sure, sure," my quick response raised Charlie's eyebrows; he realized where I got it from. "Thanks." I said, grateful he wasn't going to bring up Edward's character again - not that I didn't have a million ways to defend him, but still - one less fight to deal with.

"Alright, well I'm going to the station and then Billy and I are going fishing after work. I guess I won't see you before you leave, will I?" he asked, backing towards the door.

"Yeah, I guess not. Have fun, catch some fish for me, we could always use more. Oh and there is left over casserole from yesterday on the top shelf. Bye, and tell Billy I said hi." I said, trying not to think about Billy's son.

"Sure. You have fun too. Bye, Bells. Stay safe," he said with a wink, and then he walked out of the room. I sighed and rolled over, stretching out. As I tried to get out of my bed to make my way to the closet, there was a cold hand on my own.

"Your acting skills haven't improved much, I see. Oh well, we can work on that," he said, staring me in the eyes. I could see the false layer of humor on top, but under there seemed to be something else. Agony, maybe?

"Such a kidder. I'm a great actress, and you know it. And I'm sorry you had to hear that. I wish he wouldn't have brought it up…" I trailed off, feeling a cold finger on my lips.

"Bella, I deserve much more than that. Much, much more. No need to feel guilty," he said, removing his finger from my lip

"What was he… what was Charlie thinking about?" I asked, truly curious.

"He was thinking about when I… when I left you," he shut his eyes for a moment, and then opened them. "Then he was thinking about how you didn't ask him to say hello to Jacob for you. He also briefly thought about what kinds of troubles I could get you in during one weekend." He chuckled, but the humor never reached his eyes.

I sighed. "Edward, you need to stop having this _guilt,_" my voice twisted disgustedly around the word, "eat you up inside. I've forgiven you, you're going to have to accept it, move on, and forget about what happened." I said, trying to make my voice sound as soothing as possible, but I failed. My voice cracked twice.

"After what I did to you, _you're _comforting _me_? You really shou--" but I cut him off, putting my hand over his mouth.

"Edward, stop. Right now. I'm sick of this. You need to really to stop. If you want to make up for what happened, this is the way to do it. Don't think about it and do not feel guilty. Please, Edward, please." I begged. It hurt me to see him torture himself. I released his lips.

"Fine. You may want to get up," he glanced at the clock, "you wouldn't want to be late." His crooked smile was irresistible, I had to smile too.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: short chapter, enjoy.  
Oh, and i don't own Twilight. yep, not that lucky.**

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, I felt a little better. I had used the hot water to calm me, and now I was just fighting exhaustion. I really regretted staying up all night… wait, no. I wouldn't regret any time spent with Edward, no matter the cost to my body. Who cares? I could make up the sleep. My time with Edward was priceless.

When I finished blow drying my hair so it was pin straight, I threw my towel into the dirty clothes pile and made my way back to my room. He was waiting, of course, in the rocking chair in the corner of my room. I walked over to him where he was waiting with his arms open. He hugged me close and whispered in my ear.

"Are you all ready to go?" he asked and kissed me on the cheek.

"Yes, I just need to pack, you know, for sleeping over," of course he knew, but I wanted to say the words out loud. I, Isabella Swan, was spending the weekend with my vampire boyfriend and his vampire family.

He smiled at my excitement, "I'm not so sure you are going to have to worry about clothing. You see, Alice heard that you were coming and well, she…" I cut him off with a nod. Alice. She bought me clothes, or she was planning to. "I apologize, I know how you hate it, she's an unstoppable force of nature, but of course you know that," I nodded again. I knew all too well. "Anyway, I guess we should be going," he said, lifting me off the floor and carrying me skillfully to my truck. He set me down at the front of my truck, looked at it, and groaned.

"Shush, shush. None of that. Charlie needs to see my truck gone and the ride is short, with your insane driving, anyway. You'll live," I defended my truck and my reason for taking it. I hated when he complained about my truck. I loved it, it had personality.

He picked me up again and carried me to the passenger side door where he swiftly sat me on the seat, and in the same second, shut my door. Not a whole second later, he was sitting next to me.

"Yes, well, one of these days this truck will fail because I've pushed it too hard. A senior citizen - as you once categorized it - should not be pushed to such extremes," he noted, peeling out of the driveway.

"I couldn't agree more, and that's why you should let me drive. I've had much more practice driving… reasonably slow, and my truck has a chance of survival with me at the wheel," I reasoned, hoping he would agree. Something told me he would never agree with me when it came to my truck.

I was right. "Not a chance. With you driving, we would never be able to accomplish anything," he smiled, trying to lighten his tone, making it sound like a joke, but I knew it wasn't.

"Enough talk about my truck and my driving. What's the game plan for tonight?" I pressed, hoping to distract him.

"Whatever you want. I'm sure Alice would love to convince you to go shopping with her, but you need to rest," stroking the bags under my eyes with one cold thumb, he continued, "and I wouldn't want to push you too far. Humans need sleep, and you have lost hours upon hours on my behalf. I owe you sleep, I will make sure Alice doesn't pester you tonight with her quest to buy more mountains of clothes."

I yawned, all this talk about sleep was making me tired, and if that wasn't enough, I was melting under his simple touch. "Sounds good to me." I said, yawning again, he chuckled.

"Maybe a nap, first. I'm not sure you can hold out until nightfall," he turned onto the invisible road to his house.

We reached his house in record time; the trees rushing pasted us, just blurs of different shades of green and brown. For once, it wasn't raining in Forks; it was just a cloudy, hazy, foggy day. A day safe for Edward to go outside. A day wasted, most likely spent listening to me sleep. The truck came to a stop, and in an instant, Edward was opening my door, pulling me into the circle of his arms. I was sure that my exhaustion was going to overtake me soon, and I think he could sense it, too. With that, he lightly picked me off the ground and carried me up the stairs, comfortably in his stone arms, where I slipped into unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun was bright, though that's an obvious fact; it was different than the normal sun. It was red, bright crimson. It hurt my eyes. I looked away from it before my eyes would burn and I looked around myself. It was at our meadow. The meadow that meant so much to Edward and I. I also realized I was alone, but I wasn't sure why I was here. Then, a dark figure crept out of the edge of the forest. I recognized the figure instantly and froze in my place.

Victoria.

Victoria was at the meadow, and I was alone; which I was instantly grateful for. No one needed to see me die, and no one needed to fight for me. I felt a wave of relief wash through me, but it quickly vanished when I saw Charlie appear from the outer rim of the trees.

"Charlie! No! Run back right now!" I wanted to yell, but I was frozen with shock and dread. Not only was I going to die today, but my father as well.

Victoria never looked at Charlie; she kept her eyes locked on mine. I knew she knew he was there, because the second Charlie stepped into the meadow, Victoria smiled. The smile was beautiful, as any vampires, but it wasn't one I'd seen before. It was terrifying.

"Oh, father has come to protect his daughter, how sweet," she began in a menacing tone, keeping her eyes locked on mine as she walked closer to me slowly. "If only he realized how impossible it would be to save you. No one can save you now," by now she was only about 10 yards away. My knees buckled and I looked over at Charlie, but he was gone. In his place was who I dreaded to be here most.

Edward. Edward. Edward. NO! He needed to be out of here. He would never _ever_ be here for this. He couldn't be.

"Edward, get out of here!" I managed to yell, pointing to the forest.

"Bella? Bella? Wake up, Bella!" I heard him yell, but when I looked at him, his lips weren't moving. "Bella, sweetheart, you're having a nightmare! Wake up now!" he ordered again, and this time I replied.

"Hmm? What? Edward, you need to run! Stop telling me to wake up! I'm not asleep!" I yelled as my eyes flashed open. I was in Edward's room. I looked around and saw his hand on my arm.

"Bella! What happened? It was just a dream. Just a dream," he chanted, trying to calm me by rocking back and forth soothingly and rubbing my arm up and down.

"Oh, Edward," I cried, burying my head in his stone chest. It was a stupid reaction, I realized. I didn't need to tell him my fears, but I knew I couldn't bottle it up. "Edward, it… was… Victoria," he snarled at the name, but I ignored him. "I was in the forest and she came for me. She was there, Edward. Then Charlie came and she said that he couldn't help me now and then you were there and Charlie was gone."

He seemed to have sensed how terrified the dream truly made me, because his coaxing became anxious. "Bella, I won't leave you to face her. She won't get anywhere near you or Charlie. I swear by it. I won't let her touch you, you will be safe," he whispered in my ear. It was meant to be helpful, but I wasn't worried about myself. I was worried about someone much more important. Him.

"I know," I began to move my head away from his chest. "It was just… so real. So terrifying."

"Don't worry, love. It wasn't real and she won't get anywhere near you," he murmured, putting his hand under my chin and lifting my face up to his to kiss me. It was brief but very, very sweet. He pulled away, "please, don't worry."

"Yeah, I know. It's just hard, you know," I looked around his room, trying to think about the last thing I remembered. We came over after I asked Charlie about the weekend, Edward carried me up the stairs… and that was it. I didn't remember anything after that. "Uh, what happened last… oh, it's dark. So what happened today? What time is it?" I asked, looking around for a clock. He chuckled at my confusion.

"Well, after I picked you up, you fell right asleep. It's two in the morning, and you've just been sleeping all day," he explained.

"Oh, crap! I wasted all this time! I'm sorry, I know how you--" I started to apologize, but he cut me off.

"No need to apologize. I shouldn't have kept you up last night. It was selfish. We still have all tomorrow and Sunday. And then a whole other week before school. Plenty of time."

"It wasn't selfish. I wanted to be up with you. And yes, that's true. Plenty of time," I agreed. There was a low rumble in my stomach. Crap, I was hungry. He laughed his musical laugh again.

"So I guess you'll be needing food, then? Sorry I haven't fed you. Esme got some human food while you were sleeping. Its downstairs, but I can bring it to you, for breakfast in bed, if you'd like." Breakfast in _bed_? I looked around, and sure enough, we were in a bed. A giant, white bed with gold metal roses on the frame.

"When did this get here?" I asked. No one in this house needed a bed, so why was there one now?

"Well, when Alice heard you were spending the weekend, she realized we didn't really have the correct human accommodations. She's always looking for an excuse to shop."

"Oh, Alice, right." My stomach growled again.

"Breakfast now, then. Would you like to change clothes?" He asked, getting slowly up from the bed.

"Yes please. Where are these ridiculous clothes you promised me Alice bought?" I wondered, unwrapping myself from the blankets.

"They are in my closet, to the right. I'm sorry if you don't like what you find. I'll be back in ten minutes," he quickly kissed my forehead, and then he was gone.

I headed over to the closest, dreading the contents. I opened to door and sure enough, half the closet was filled with pink. I groaned and tried to find the closest outfit to my own. I was in luck; there were jeans (with holes in them, a style I guess?) and a plain white t-shirt. I hurried to put them on, closed the door, and sped to the bathroom. When I got there, I splashed cold water on my face and - after retrieving my toiletry bag that was conveniently placed next to the sink - brushed my teeth. When I was done I walked back into Edward's room to find him sitting on the edge of his bed, looking at me. I smiled and walked over to him to sit on his lap.

"Welcome back," he murmured, putting his arms around me. "I have the food set downstairs. Esme wasn't sure what you would like, so she bought everything," he laughed.

"Oh, she didn't have to do that. I'm sorry," I apologized, thinking about the trouble Esme had gone to.

Edward rolled his eyes and stood up, me still in his arms. "You need to stop apologizing, Bella. Esme likes having to buy human food. She says she likes being like a human mom," he chuckled once and sped out of the room toward the stairs.

**A/N: not tooo exciting yet. but just wait, you'll see, more drama comes ;)  
MWAHAHA. reviews love.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh! Good morning Bella!" greeted Esme, who was stationed at the sink over a bowl of eggs, when Edward set me down in the kitchen.

"Morning Esme," I smiled. I guess 'good morning' was an appropriate greeting, although I wasn't sure considering none of them ever sleep.

"So, what would you like for breakfast? I bought everything. Let's see here, we have eggs, toast, waffles, cereal, oatmeal, and some yogurt. Then in the refrigerator we have milk, butter, and jam. Take your pick," she said with a smile, motioning toward the table full of food.

"Thanks for this," I said, walking out of Edward's arms toward the food. I picked up a piece of bread and put it in the toaster. I then took a cup of yogurt and opened it. I headed towards where they kept the silverware - props - but Edward had already gotten it for me. "Thanks," I smiled, retrieving the spoon from his icy hand, he smiled back. I sat down at the table, where Edward had already cleared a spot and I started to devour the yogurt. He sat next to me and watched, wrinkling his nose a few times.

"Is that actually good? To be honest, it doesn't look very appetizing to me," he asked as he watched me eat. I shrugged indifferently, unsure how to answer. When my toast was done, Edward got me a plate and a knife and set in on the counter as I got the butter out of the fridge. While trying to get the toast out, I accidentally burnt myself on the side of the toaster.

"OUCH!" I squealed, shaking my hand. I would have run over to the sink and put my hand under the cold water, but Esme was in the middle of picking up large amounts of eggs.

"Bella!" Edward yelled running over to me at vampire speed. He looked me in the eyes intensely, trying to distract me - which it did - while he gently took my hand and wrapped two of his own around it. The cold feel of his skin extinguished the burning.

"Thanks, Edward. Sorry I'm such a klutz." I apologized. I was so stupid

"There's nothing to apologize for. Are you alright? I forget what burns feel like," he asked, lifting my hand up to his icy cheek. I felt amazingly better.

"Yes, that helps a lot. Thank you, I think I'll skip the toast," I said, listening closely when he laughed.

"Understood. Is there anything else I can get you instead?" he asked, putting an arm around my waist.

"No, thanks. I think I'm good," I answered as he pulled me in closer. "Where is everyone?"

He seemed to tense up, "Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett are hunting and Carlisle is working the night shift at the hospital."

"That reminds me, I should be going. I need to drop something off at the hospital for Carlisle and then I'm going to need to get more human food. Edward, do you think you could finish the eggs?" Esme asked, moving away from the sink.

"Of course," Edward said, moving us both towards the sink where Esme could kiss us both on the forehead and quickly leave before I could object to her getting more food for me.

"Don't you need to hunt?" I asked, stroking the light purple shadow underneath his eyes.

He shrugged, "It's nothing unmanageable. I'll probably just hunt later with Emmett when they get back. Although that would mean spending time away…" he trailed off. Suddenly he lifted me off the floor and kissed me. Once again, realizing I was out of oxygen, he slowly put me back on the floor.

"Yeah, spending time away is not okay with me," I struggled with coherency, shaking my head and trying to catch my breath. He chuckled and turned to the counter to start putting the eggs away. "So, what are we going to do until everyone gets back?" I asked, watching him close the door to the fridge and start to put the food away at vampire speed.

"We can do whatever you want. It's obviously a little early to go out."

"Well, I don't really feel like sitting down for a while, I would probably end up falling asleep and I don't want to waste any more time. What do you want to do?" I asked, confused about what there was to do at two in the morning.

"I guess we could go for a walk, but we'd have to steer clear of anywhere where Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, or Jasper would be, their animal instincts would still be strong from hunting," he offered. I was excited by the idea, but there was a problem.

"Victoria," I mouthed.

"Bella, what did I tell you a million times? You don't need to worry about her. She will never get anywhere near you, and I can read her thoughts if she gets anywhere close. Plus, we always have Alice," he smiled at the end.

"Yeah, that's true. A walk would help. I need to clear my head," I stumbled towards the door.

We walked toward the edge of the creek that surrounded the Cullen estate. We talked for a while about Charlie and his reaction and Alice and her shopping plans. When we go to the creek, Edward sat down on a rock, and I snuggled up next to him. He put his arm around me and rested his cheek on my shoulder. I sighed and kissed his neck.

"Thanks," he murmured, playing with a strand of my hair.

"Anytime," I whispered as he kissed the top of my head.

We sat on that rock all night. The sun came up too quickly, blasting pink, orange, and yellow shadows over everything in sight. For once in Forks, it wasn't raining, for which I was grateful. I didn't want to move. There was a slight breeze and my hair ruffled in my face. I could feel Edward tense and I looked up at him. His nostrils flared and his eyes were darting around the forest as he pulled me tighter. Through his jeans, I felt the silent vibration of his cell phone go off. He pulled it up to his ear before I could blink, never letting go of me.

"Alice," he greeted into the phone, very quickly. "Yes Alice, I smelled her when the breeze picked up. We're at the… mhm, yes. Why couldn't you see it coming? What? Oh, well, did you talk to Carlisle? There has to be a reason. Yes, she's fine. No, you go tell the others, I'll get her back to the house… Okay, good," he snapped the phone shut.

"Edward, what's… what's wrong?" I asked, dumbfounded. I must have seemed like an idiot to him.

He kissed the top of my head and squeezed me tighter. "Victoria." he murmured, and all went black.

**A/N: sorry, i hate cliffhangers. haha, but i need to keep people interested. so alert me and review or add this story to your favorites. thats what i do with stories i love.  
and yeah, i don't own anything.**


	5. Chapter 5

"Bella! Bella! Please! Can you hear me?" cried a beautiful voice from the darkness. I wasn't sure how long I had been out, but long enough for me to forget why I passed out.

"Edward, don't worry. Bella will be fine. She was just in shock, she'll be perfectly normal," murmured a calming voice.

"Alice," snarled Edward, "how much longer?" he asked, stroking my face with a cool hand.

"She'll open her eyes in… thirty seconds. She's been able to hear us for a little while," answered a beautiful female voice.

"Bella? Honey, can you hear me? I love you. I'm sorry for what I said," pleaded Edward.

"What? No, don't… don't worry," I managed to choke out, reaching for him. Where was I? He took my hand and gave it a squeeze.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" asked Carlisle's calm voice and I felt cold fingers on my forehead.

"I'm okay," I sighed, trying to open my eyes. It was hard at first; I had to put all my effort into it. I searched for Edward's face immediately, and found him bent over me. I tried to look around to see where I was, but my eyes didn't want to move away from his. When I finally forced myself to, I realized I was in the living room of the Cullen's house. I lied on the floor on blankets with Carlisle, Edward, and Alice all hovering around. "What… what happened?" I asked.

Edward looked at Carlisle for a moment and then back at me, "Victoria, I smelled her. But don't worry, Bella. The track was hours old. You have nothing to worry about. No one was here then, no one is in any danger."

"Charlie!" I yelled, eyes bulging, trying to sit up. Two cold hands pushed me back down.

"Bella, don't worry. I promise. Esme and Rosalie are with Charlie. They won't leave him. There aren't any fresh tracks, you have nothing to worry about," he murmured as he kissed my forehead. I began to relax. Its okay, no one was going to be hurt. Edward would stay with me, and Rosalie and Esme would stay with Charlie until Victoria got caught. It's okay.

"Okay," I mumbled, shutting my eyes. I was so tired.

"Would you like to go back to sleep, love?" Edward asked.

"No, no. I need to get up, got to move around," I answered, trying to sit myself upright. Seeing that I wouldn't be able to do this alone, Edward helped me up. "Thanks." I said when I was finally upright. I looked around and realized that two people un-accounted for. "Where's Emmett and Jasper?"

"They went to go see if they could follow the scent," Alice answered, stepping towards me.

"Oh, how long have I been out?"

"About ten minutes," answered Carlisle as he packed up his gear and helped Alice fold the blankets. In those brief few seconds, something in my head clicked.

"Alice, why couldn't you see that Victoria," I gulped, "was coming? And Edward, how couldn't you read her mind?"

Edward and Alice looked at each other and I saw Edward nod quickly. Alice then sighed and turned to me. "Bella, we aren't sure why I couldn't see her. We think that Edward couldn't hear her because she wasn't close enough. He was at your house and then here with you. We think that she came before you got here, so she wouldn't have been close enough to Edward," she spoke slowly. It took a few seconds for the words to sink in.

"Alice, you didn't… you couldn't _see_?" I asked, knowing how very much the Cullen family relied on Alice for her powers.

She looked annoyed at the question, "No, I couldn't. We don't know why yet."

"But don't worry, Bella. Everything will be fine," Carlisle assured me. Yeah, sure. Fine. Just a sadistic vampire hoping to exchange my death for her mate's. Fine.

Edward pulled out a cell phone from his pocket and nodded as he listened to the voice on the other end. "Yes, yes. Okay, thank you Esme. Yes, she's fine," he snapped the phone shut and turned to us. "Esme says that she and Rosalie are at Charlie's station while he's at work. There is no scent of her within a hundred miles. She also said that Emmett and Jasper are on their way back now."

Just as he said that, Emmett and Jasper came waltzing through the room. Jasper looked determined, and Emmett looked happy. Typical. Leave it to Emmett to be excited about the thought of a fight.

"Nothing. Those tracks are hours old. They zig zag between our house and Bella's. They go to the trees outside her house and then come back here. Our guess is that she came here first and then went to Bella's, but found nothing." Jasper informed us, taking his place next to Alice.

Edward growled and stood next to me, tensed. "Edward, don't worry. Bella will be fine. Victoria won't go anywhere near her," Emmett spoke for the first time. He smiled and winked at me when I looked at him.

"Damn right she won't," Edward growled again, then looked down at me and relaxed. His cell phone vibrated again and it was up to his ear in a flash. "Rosalie? What? WHAT?! Get here, NOW!" he growled into the phone.

"Edward! What is it?!" I shrieked. His face was terrifying.

"Victoria. She left a note," he snarled.

"But… Victoria? What did it say? How could we have missed it?" asked Jasper, confused at the idea that they could have missed something.

"She just put it there. Esme sent Rosalie to go check the house and she found it on Bella's," he growled, "pillow."

I felt my jaw drop and a sharp intake of breath. Victoria had been in my house. She had been in my room. Edward listened to my reaction and rubbed my arm anxiously.

"We won't leave her any chance to get in anymore. We will be watching 24-7. There is no way she'll be able to slip past us now. I promise you."

Rosalie then walked in silently. Her eyes were wide and locked on Edward's. "Edward, I don't think you should read this. Although you can just read it in someone's head. That's why I didn't read it. It was signed to Bella," she said, turning to me. Edward reached out for the note anyway, despite what Rosalie said.

"No, Edward, don't. I'll read it and I won't pass out. Just let me do this, please." I pleaded, looking him in the eye. His eyes widened.

"What? No! You can't. You shouldn't be allowed to read anything that vile creature wrote to you. Rose, give it to me," he ordered. Carlisle put his hand on Edward's shoulder to restrain him.

"Edward, let Bella do it. You know how you would react if you read it," his voice was calming and persuasive, or maybe that's was Jasper's doing. Either way, it worked. He stepped back, closed his eyes and nodded.

I took the note from Rosalie and read it to myself first. The handwriting was neat and small, my eyes widened at the title.

_Human,_

_Do you think that this is over? I will stop at nothing to end your heartbeats. Your little protector will not be able to keep me away much longer. Watch your back, Isabella Marie Swan. I hope you taste as good as you smell._

I stared down at the paper with wide eyes. I read it over and over, letting it sink in. A vampire wanted me dead. There was someone in this world that would wish that I wouldn't wake up one morning. Was that normal? Stupid question, of course it wasn't normal. Nothing was normal anymore. I tried to read it again, but realized I couldn't. My hands were shaking uncontrollably. The paper was suddenly out of my hands and cold arms were wrapped around me. Someone was whispering in my ear but I couldn't hear them. I managed to catch a couple of the words as the shaking slowed.

"Bella, love… you'll be… I swear by it… what did she…" I couldn't make out the words in between. It took two minutes until my shaking was manageable.

"Bella, are you okay? What did she say?" Edward's urgent voice asked.

"Just… just read it…" I choked out. There was no way I was going to be able to repeat it out loud and not faint. Edward reached his hand out to take the paper from Alice who had read it, eyes wide with shock. He stepped away from me and spoke to Carlisle.

"I don't think I'll be able to control myself. She can't be this close to me if I lose it." Edward said, handing me to Carlisle who put an arm around me. He looked down at the paper and his hands instantly balled into fists. He snarled furiously through the whole note and bared his teeth. I was too in shock to be terrified like I should have been. I had only ever seen Edward act like this one other time. It was when James met me in the clearing. I shuddered at the thought. Edward looked over at the motion and must have seen the obvious terror in my eyes. It took him a while, but he calmed down. He handed the note out roughly to Carlisle and reached for me. I instantly clung to him and he pulled me into his arms.

"Oh, my," Carlisle commented as he scanned the note, over and over, just as I had. "This is out of control. We can't let her get near Bella. It won't happen."

"Never," whispered Alice, still in shock. The feeling was unanimous. I suddenly felt really bad for Jasper for having to deal with all of those emotions.

**A/N: yes, i'll admit it. i think the note was lame. haha. i just needed something to add some the tension ;) so please don't leave me 2384927 comments saying 'omg, victoria would NEVER leave a note' or 'that was such a stupid idea' PLEASE don't not only is it rude, but its irrelevant. this is MY story, and i can write whatever ridiculousness i want :) but thank you to everyone who is reading! please add a revieww!**


	6. Chapter 6

Things changed after the note. No one ever left Charlie alone. Although he didn't know it, he always had a vampire watching over him. Whether it was Jasper and Emmett, or Esme and Rosalie, he always had someone. That helped a great deal with my anxiety, but I was still worried about Alice not being able to see an attack. Another thing changed, Edward never left my side. The only times were necessities - showers and bathroom breaks. Other than that, he was at my side all day, every day. That seemed to be the only positive aspect of this situation. The fact that Edward and I got more time to spend with each other. But at what price?

It was Sunday now. I was suppose to be going home today from the Cullen's. Edward, Alice, Carlisle, and I sat down to discuss the new arrangements.

"There is no way she can be out of my sight," Edward sternly said, taking my hand under the kitchen table.

"No, no. That's for certain, you can't leave her unguarded. I understand. We just need to figure this out for Charlie, too," Carlisle reasoned, trying to calm Edward down.

"Hmm, that's an interesting idea Alice," Edward said, turning to his 'adopted' sister.

"What idea?" I asked, I hated when they had these private conversations.

"Alice was just thinking that maybe we could go on a trip," he smiled and turned to me.

"What Edward means is," Alice corrected before I could ask. "We tell Charlie that some of the Cullen family is going on a trip somewhere for the week or however long and we've invited you and it would be terribly rude to say no."

"Charlie won't like the idea of Edward and I--" I began, but Edward cut me off.

"Oh, no. This is a Cullen _girl_ get away week," Edward winked at me.

"Hmm, I wonder if he'll say yes. Alice?" I asked, hoping that her visions still worked.

She thought very hard for a minute and became perfectly still. "He won't give you much trouble once you say Edward isn't going to be there," she shot a quick smile at him and continued, "He's in a good mood after catching more fish."

"Good, then it's settled then. Bella will spend the week with us," Carlisle concluded as Edward squeezed my hand.

In fifteen minutes, Edward and I were in my truck, driving towards my house. We were followed by Emmett, who was running behind us, "just in case" as Edward put it. I felt bad for taking up so much time of theirs, but the only one that it seemed to bother was Rosalie. Everyone else insisted it was okay.

"Bella, I need you to listen very carefully. You need to tell Charlie you're leaving first thing tomorrow morning, so you won't be able to see him. Say three a.m., if you wish, if that's more convincing. It's four p.m. now, so we don't have to wait too long. Emmett and I will not leave the property unless you're with us. As soon as Charlie's asleep, and Alice says he's tired and will go to bed at eight, we will take you to our house. Understand?" he asked, looking me in the eye. He meant business. I gulped and nodded.

He chuckled. "I love you, Bella. This is for your own safety," he kissed my forehead.

"I know, I know. I love you, too," to show he wasn't the only one that could be cute, I kissed his hand. He smiled, which made me smile too.

When we got to my road, we stopped before we could see my house. Edward then pulled me across his lap so I was in the driver's seat while he was in the passenger.

"Uh, won't he see you there?" I asked, starting the truck.

"Oh, don't worry," he flashed me his crooked smile, "I'll duck. Then I'll meet you in your room. Come right up after you ask for permission for the trip. Emmett will stay near the front of the house in the woods."

We had reached my house then and I slowly turned into the driveway. Edward looked over at me just as I saw a white blur pass by the car. My eyes bulged and Edward put his hand over my mouth.

"It's Emmett," he whispered releasing me when he was sure I wouldn't cry bloody murder. Edward swiftly looked at the trees and then the house, and then turned back to me. He cupped my face in his hands and pulled me forward. The kiss wasn't as brief as the last, but it was still not long enough. "Remember; meet me as soon as you're done. I'll be waiting," he smiled and then he slunk down into the seat as I opened the door.

I felt awkward walking the short distance to my front door. Edward was watching me. Emmett was watching me. For all I knew, Victoria was watching me. I shuddered at the thought and cleared my head. Focus on convincing Charlie; focus on convincing Charlie, I chanted as I reached the door.

**A/N: s****hort chapter, i know. please contact me if you have any suggestions for another story. oh, and this one has like... 10+ chapters. haha**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: i've been writing as much as i can, hoping to finish. i really want to write another one where Bella isn't constantly on lock-down. haha.  
enjoyyyy. i post/write about a chapter a day, so check back!**

oh, and reviews make for one happy writer ;) tehehe, hint hint. thanks!

I was about to reach for the handle, but Charlie opened it from the other side before I could.

"Welcome home, Bells!" he yelled and hugged me. "Oh, I've missed you! How was your weekend with Alice?" he asked, grabbing the bag Edward had given me to make it look like I actually _did _spend the weekend with Alice.

"It was good. Alice gave me a makeover, all that girly stuff. How was fishing?" I was trying to buy time so I could plan in my head, but I knew the small talk would end soon. Before Charlie could answer, the phone rang. Charlie raised his eyebrow and pointed and the phone with his thumb for me to get it. I walked over, expecting Alice to be on the other end to "invite" me, but I was shocked at who it was.

"Hello?" I greeted.

"Hey, Bella?" asked a familiar husky voice.

"Jake! Hi! I haven't talked to you in for--" I began, but once again, I was cut off. Damn mythical creatures.

"No time. Is your bloodsucker around?" he asked. I was taken aback by the question.

"Uh… well, something like that. Listen, I can't really talk right now. Would there be a better time?" I asked, hoping I didn't give anything away.

"Charlie's there, huh? Well, I'll call back. Wait, do you have the leech's cell phone number? If that's what they even use. Maybe they use bat sonar…"

"Hilarious, Jake. Yes, I have the number, here it is," I stated the number impatiently, wondering what he could want with Edward.

"Okay, thanks, bye," and then he was gone.

Charlie looked at me confused, but I was too occupied to worry about him. I knew if I didn't get up to Edward soon, I would miss the call. "Hold on, dad," I said, sprinting up the stairs. When I got in my room, Edward was there, pacing across my floor.

"Bella," he sighed in relief when he saw me. I smiled back, but got straight to business. I shut the door quickly and he wrapped his arms around me.

"Jake… he called… he wants to talk to you. I don't know why… I gave him your number. I'm sorry, I guess I shouldn't have. I should have thought--" I began, but he cut me off. He needed to work on that.

"Silly Bella, don't worry. I never told you not to give out the number. I could buy a new cell phone if I need to. I was listening. He never mentioned when he was going to call?" it sounded like a question but I wasn't sure.

"Yeah, he didn't. I wonder what he wants," before he could answer, Edward's phone vibrated in his pocket.

"Jacob?" he asked into the phone. "Yes, did you hear-- Oh, really?" he growled suddenly. "Yes, I suppose that's best. I'll just need to contact the othe-- I'm not making any promises, Jacob. Yes, I'll see what I can do," and he snapped the silver phone shut and slid it into his pocket.

"What? What did Jacob say?" I asked, unable to hide my anxiety.

"He said that Victoria," another growl, "left her scent in La Push. Right on the border. He would like for us to meet him."

"Who is 'us'?" I asked.

"Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and myself, of course. He's going to be bringing three of his own as well. I'm sorry, I hate to leave you with Alice, but it's just until I get back."

"Edward, no," I stared him in the eyes fiercely; he needed to take me seriously. "I'm going with you." His eyes widened for a moment, although he should have expected this from me. It was unfair to leave me out.

"Bella, you can't. It's not safe for you. Something could happen. It's not safe," his voice was stern.

"No, Edward. You listen to me, I'm going tonight. I need to know what's happening. I won't take your edited versions. I want the truth. I want to know everything that happened and any danger I'm in. I have a right to know."

"How many times do I have to tell you until you finally believe me? You are in no dan--" it was my turn to cut him off.

"Edit," I implied. He rolled his eyes.

"No danger." he said

"Good, then I can go."

"You know that's not what I meant, Bella," he sounded annoyed, but hugged me closer.

"Edward, Jake is going to be there. I haven't seen him since," I couldn't finish that part. "Well, you know when. And I owe him everything, Edward. Everything. You'll be there, it's the safest time. Please, I have to go."

He looked at me closely for a minute and I couldn't tell what he found, but his eyes instantly warmed and he kissed my forehead. "Do you really think you owe him everything?" he whispered.

"Maybe not everything, but I owe him my sanity. He was there when no one else was. He was my best friend," I choked a little at the past tense.

"I will never forgive myself for leaving you. Look at all it's caused! I figured it would help, but it seemed to have gotten you in more trouble. Running with wolves," he scoffed, sighed, and looked at me again. "If you really think this is necessary to find closure, Bella, then you can go with."

"Thank you, Edward," I shut my eyes tight and nestled myself into his arms.

"I love you," he murmured, kissing the top of my head. He then tensed, "Charlie is coming, I'll be in your closet," and then he was gone.

I quickly went into acting mode and pretended to unpack my bag. Charlie opened the door, and stood in the doorway. "Hey, dad. What's up?" I asked, putting some 'dirty' clothes in the hamper.

"Nothing. You okay? You seem a little… off," he commented.

"Yeah dad, I'm fine. But I do have a question," I became very nervous. I didn't mean to be so forward about it. What if he said no? Then what? Edward couldn't kidnap me. Where would I say I'd be all the time? I bit my bottom lip.

"What is it, kiddo?" he asked, suddenly anxious.

"Well, I was wondering if maybe I could go… well, Alice, Rosalie, and Esme are going to California for the last few days of summer and they invited me to join. I really want to go, dad. It sounds really fun, actually. I know I'm not into girly things, but Esme did some research for me and there's an amazing book store and that. Can I go, dad? Please," wow, I was a better liar then I thought. I swear I could hear a low chuckle coming from the closet, but I could have just been imagining it.

"You said just you, Alice, Rosalie, and Esme, right? What about Edward?" he asked.

"Edward is going camping with Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper that week. It's an all-girl thing in California. Alice is enforcing a strict no-guy policy."

"Oh, well, I guess that's uh… okay. As long as it'll be an all-girls thing," he sounded unsure, but I knew he believed me.

"It is dad, thanks. I really didn't want to have to tell Alice no. We leave tomorrow morning around four a.m. They have this whole itinerary planned. I think we're staying for the week, but I'm not sure. I'll let you know, okay?"

"Uh, are you sure you'll be back in time for school, Bells? I wouldn't want you to miss the first few days…" but I cut him off.

"Dad, it'll be fine," I pretended to yawn; "I think I'm going to go to bed. I won't see you tomorrow, so goodnight dad, I love you. Thanks again, sorry to leave you to cook."

"Night, Bells. You have a fun time. Make sure you call me when you know how long you're staying. Love you, too," Charlie said, walking over to me to give me a hug. I could feel my eyes start to water, but I quickly pushed them back. This would _not_ be the last time I saw Charlie. He kissed my forehead and walked out of the room. I felt two cold arms wrap around me and I turned as Edward cradled me against him. I let the tears fall.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: sorry this is short. tehehe, my bad :D and i'm sorry i'm leaving you at a cliffhanger!  
just letting you know, this is dedicated to stormXgirl89, whose reviews make me laugh :) haha.  
Song: Relient K - Mood Rings. its one of the.. hmm... 5 (roughly) songs i listen to when i write. haha, i can't listen to rap or anything too up-beat. take a listen!**

i do not own twilight.  


It took me about ten minutes for my eyes to feel tired enough - from crying - to sleep. I stayed in Edward's arms, who tried to calm me by whispering in my ear. When I was finally done, I felt bad for him having to watch me.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have reacted like that," I choked out. I was so thirsty from, my voice sounded hoarse. I was glad I could cry quietly, this time, anyway.

"Its okay, its okay, love. You know nothing will happen to either of you, right? You will see Charlie again, I promise you. Nothing will happen. Hold on, I'll get you something to drink," he was back in no time at all with a glass of water. He handed it to me and I gulped it all down. He smiled.

"Thanks, Edward. Thank you for everything," I owed him my life many times over.

"No need to thank me. It's my pleasure, trust me," he hugged me closer and I yawned. "You need to sleep," he noted.

"Yeah, but I don't want you to leave without me. You would, too."

"No, I wouldn't. I promise you I will not to leave to meet everyone without you," I believed every word.

"Okay, thanks. I think I'll go to sleep no--" yawn, "now." I said, climbing into bed. Edward lay down next to me and I snuggled into his chest. He kissed my head.

"Goodnight, love. Sleep well."

"'Night Edward, I love you," and I slipped into unconsciousness.

I dreamed that night. It wasn't something I anticipated, although I know I should have seen it coming. Inevitability at it's finest. For once, my dreams weren't a nightmare. There was no Victoria, no running or screaming, and most importantly, no dying. It was just Edward and I at our meadow. We stretched across the grasses holding hands. "I love you" he murmured. I watched his topaz eyes melt and I felt myself melting too. "I love you too, Edward, forever." In my dream we lay there for hours. Neither one of us willing to give this time up. The sun started setting as we got up to leave. We walked hand and hand towards the edge of the forest before he swiftly swung me onto his back and took off. It was my favorite dream of all time.

I felt a little cold shake and a muffled voice. "Bella, love. Its time to get up. You said you wanted to come, right? I promised you I wouldn't leave without you, but if you want to sleep," Edward's beautiful voice broke my sleep, for which I was glad, it meant he was really there, and I wasn't dreaming. I opened my eyes and searched for his face. Oddly awake, I found myself inching closer to him and curling up next to his cold chest.

"Yeah, I need to go," I sighed and kissed his neck, he chuckled.

"We're going to meet Emmett in five minutes, so you may want to get ready."

"Oh, right," I suddenly remembered what was going on tonight. I was going to meet Jake and some of his wolf friends, and we were going to discuss Victoria. I gulped.

Edward noticed my anxiousness as he got up from the bed and helped me up. "You did want to go, correct? You can stay, it's not too late. I know how nervous this must make you."

"No, no. Don't be ridiculous, of course I'm going," I stated, rummaging through my closet until I found a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt. I didn't know where to change. I guess I could go to the bathroom? That wouldn't wake Charlie up, right? And I could always lie and say I was packing for the trip. I walked to the door and turned to Edward. "I'll be right back," I promised, opening the door.

When I got to the bathroom I looked in the mirror and almost didn't recognize myself. My hair was a mess, my eyes were bloodshot from crying, and I had bags under my eyes. I washed my face quickly; it helped a little. I changed as fast as I could and tried to run a brush through my hair. When it was finally tame, I turned off the light and headed back to my room. Edward was there, of course, but I was shocked to see that Emmett was with him.

"Oh, I guess my human speed is too slow for you?" I asked, Emmett smiled and winked, and Edward laughed. "Hey Emmett," I greeted, closing my door and walking over to Edward who was standing across from Emmett.

"Hey Bella, you ready to go?" he asked, motioning to the window with his thumb.

"Yep," I smiled.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Edward mumbled as he pulled me into his arms and picked me up. Emmett had already opened up the window and Edward lithely leapt out and shut the window. I planned to close my eyes as we fell, but we made it to the ground with a soft thud before I could even try to close them. After landing and making sure I was okay, I kissed Edward neck and then we were off.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: i don't own twilight.**

It took only minutes to get to the La Push border. We stopped at the edge of the trees on the Fork's side of the line where we met Carlisle and Jasper. Edward broke my grasp and I dropped off his back. Carlisle walked up with a polite smile on his face, but Jasper looked angry.

"Hello, Bella, Edward, Emmett." Carlisle greeted us they walked up to us. Edward and I hand-and-hand. I smiled warmly at him. I wasn't going to talk much tonight, I realized. Oh well, at least I was here.

"Hello, Carlisle. Jasper," Edward nodded and smiled.

"Do you know when our visitors will arrive?" asked Carlisle, Jasper grimaced.

"Please, Jasper. We need this, don't start anything," Edward said, and turned back to Carlisle, "they're here already, actually, on their side. They are waiting for us."

My heart beat quickened and Edward looked down at me, raising his eyebrow. I knew what he was going to ask, so I shook my head. I didn't want to go home. He sighed.

"Always so stubborn," mumbled Edward, "I guess we should get started. They came in their wolf-forms. I'll have to talk for them; they don't feel comfortable enough to talk in their human-forms."

Carlisle nodded. "That's more than enough. Let's get going," he said, walked towards the street. Edward tugged me along after Carlisle and Jasper. Emmett followed, eyes scanning the street. I looked around, too. To my dismay, I saw four yellow eyes flash in the darkness of the trees diagonally from us.

"They are not coming out of the shadow of the trees. They would like to stay hidden, just incase," Edward said as we stopped in the middle of the street. I was thankful this street didn't have streetlights.

Carlisle nodded and smiled warmly to the trees where the wolves were hidden, "That's fine, of course. So, I take it all of you know the situation of our finding Victoria's scent, correct?"

"Yes, we are aware. But we don't know the specifics," Edward answered for the pack in a calm voice that mimicked Sam's.

"Well, then let me start at the beginning," Carlisle breezed through the story, giving the shortened version of everything, but never leaving out necessary details. The wolves stayed silent most of the time, but when it got to the note she left, they growled ferociously.

"And you know that Bella is the only reason she's coming, right?" asked Sam's cool voice from Edward. He squeezed my hand and looked down at me with apologetic eyes.

"Yes, we're sure. I think you know that when you killed Laurent in the meadow, he was getting information on Bella for Victoria. She's determined and she wants revenge. Obviously we won't give it to her, seeing as though Bella is the only way she can achieve her revenge," Edward growled, but everyone ignored him.

"Do you have any plans to capture _her_?" 'Sam' asked.

Carlisle's faced turned apologetic, "At the moment, the best we can come up with is protecting Forks and Bella. We're paying extra attention to things now, nothing will slip past us. As for capturing her, the only way to do that other than her coming to Forks, would be tracking her. And to be honest, none of us have the proper fundamentals for tracking. It wouldn't work correctly and we would waste time."

"So you'll be needing help?"

"We won't be asking for it, of course. It would be completely up to you if you would like to join. But please take the risk seriously. Although we're very capable of capturing Victoria, she will be frustrating. She has a talent for evasiveness. She leaves when there is a risk and slinks back in when the heat dies down. Our kind is… hard to kill. Though you clearly have a talent for it, please take her seriously," I knew his warning was real, and I was glad he was polite to them. Although I should never expect less than utter kindness from Carlisle.

"We do. We've noticed her… 'talent' also. She came to the La Push border the other day; we must have scared her off to Forks, though. She saw two of our pack members and ran as fast as she could to the border. We would have followed her, but rules are rules," Edward spoke for Sam.

Carlisle nodded, "Yes, we understand the restraints that the treaty puts on you, puts on us, as well. Thank you for this. We do appreciate it, even if it's not for us. We understand it must be hard for you."

"We will do whatever we can to help protect humanity," Edward spoke coldly, but I wasn't sure why.

"Thank you. Shall we contact you if there are any other leads?" asked Carlisle.

"Yes, we'll contact you, too," and the wolves were gone. Edward turned to me with shock raw in his eyes.

"That went well," Jasper, obviously surprised, commented.

"Yes, it did. I suppose we should be going. Edward, will you be taking Bella back to the house with us?" Carlisle asked, turning to us.

"Yes. Bella, are you ready?" Edward turned to me and smiled.

"Yep," I smiled back.

"Good, then it's all set. See you at home," and Carlisle and Jasper were off, leaving Edward, Emmett, and I behind.

"So that wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be," Emmett complained. It was a typical Emmett statement. Only he could want to start a fight with werewolves that most likely ended in death. I shuddered. Edward looked down at me, then back to Emmett. He shook his head disapprovingly and swung me onto his back without notice. I clung to him and ducked my head under my arm. Before I knew it, Edward was tapping my arm to tell me we were back. He slid me off his back and smiled at me.

"Welcome home," he said as his lips found mine.

**A/N: this was an extremely difficult chapter to right. i don't know if i can think of dialogue from someone as... wise as carlisle. and sam was hard, too. haha.**

oh, and i have tomorrow off so i'll be writing all day. i finished this story already, but i'm posting a chapter a day so its a wee bit behind on here :) there are 12 chapters total, but i made add a 13th because i don't like how i ended it. oh, and if you have any suggestions for a new story, let me know!

**reviews love :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: i do not own Twilight.**

I had my routine down by my second day at the Cullen house. I slept in Edward's room, I ate ridiculous amounts of food - that always tasted wonderful - that Esme made me, and during the day I would hang out with the Cullen family. You would think that would be boring, but having a mind-reading boyfriend who has a psychic sister, and an emotion-altering step-brother was the opposite of boring. Everyone was always home and busy because no one could leave due to my big mouth telling Charlie they would all be out of state. I felt bad, Carlisle always seemed to miss the hospital, although he insisted that he didn't mind and it was necessary for me to stay with them, no matter the cost.

It was on the third day since my arrival that I had my first Victoria-related dream. We weren't in the meadow this time; instead I was on Edward's back, running through the forest. He stopped and looked around, nostrils flared.

"Bella, I want you to listen very carefully. Do not make a sound. Victoria is here, please. She won't hurt you. Know that. Just stay calm and don't move from where I tell you to go, understand?" my jaw dropped, and I nodded.

A fire-red haired vampire came through the trees in front of us. Edward pulled me off his back and put himself in front of me. He then crouched and bared his teeth. Victoria met my eyes and smiled. Her eyes filled with hatred. Edward took that as an opportunity and leapt at her. They tumbled into the forest and I heard a 'swoosh' as a white figure flew past my head.

"Edward!" I cried, seeing Edward on the forest floor. "Edward no!" I yelled again. I felt something very cold and hard hit me, and then it was black.

"Bella! Please Bella! Wake up! Are you okay?" I felt shaking and heard a musical voice. My eyes flew open in terror.

"Oh!" I cried and shot into a sitting position, breathing heavily. Edward rubbed my back anxiously

"Bella, what is it? Are you okay?" surely he should have known about my nightmares by now, it must be hard for him seeing me cry in fear. It would be excruciating if the roles were reversed.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine, sorry," I tried to comfort him, I felt bad for always doing that to him.

"Are you sure? What was it about?" he asked. It was really hard for him not to be able to read my mind.

"It was… _her_. She attacked you and…" I shuddered. I couldn't finish. His eyes grew concerned and he pulled me up to his cold body, wrapping his arms around me.

"Bella, she won't ever, ever hurt us. You don't need to worry," he murmured into my skin as he kissed my neck.

"Yeah… I guess… not…" I managed to get out. It was hard to breathe when he was touching me like this. He chuckled and moved his face away.

"Are you ready to wake up now?" he asked.

"What time is it?" it didn't really matter; I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep anyway, but I was curious, it was still dark out.

"It's just past four, now."

"Yeah, I guess I'll wake up. I don't think I could sleep," I mumbled into his chest. "So, what are we doing today?" I asked.

"Alice, Jasper, and Esme are out hunting now and Emmett and Carlisle are with Charlie. That means that Carlisle, Emmett, Rosalie, and I will need to hunt later," something in my face must have given away my true addiction to him being with me. "Don't worry, I'll stay close. You'll be very safe here. I'll be back as soon as I can," he smiled and leaned in forward. This kiss seemed to have too much tension in it. His kiss could never be _bad_, but this is one was different; off somehow. I ran out of oxygen quickly, which meant that the kiss was going to be ending.

Just as I predicted, Edward leaned back from the kiss and smiled at me. I merely sighed and snuggled up to him, letting him kiss the top of my head.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, playing absentmindedly with a strand of my hair.

"Not really," I mumbled.

"Are you alright, Bella? I mean other than the obvious circumstances. Are you alright?" he asked, pulling his face back to look into my eyes. He seemed concerned and it worried me. I didn't want him to think there was something wrong with me. Maybe he would think that I couldn't handle his world, his vampire world. I needed to be able to handle it. I had to, for him and for us.

"I'm fine Edward, just out of it, you know," I tried to laugh a little, but even that sounded off, great. He looked into my eyes for a few moments and I couldn't tell if he believed me or not.

"Alright," he finally said. "Are you sure you aren't hungry? Thirsty, maybe?" he offered. Always a gentleman.

"Nope. Not hungry or thirsty. I'm quite content, thank you very much," I kissed his cheek and he chuckled.

Without warning, Edward stiffened. He looked at me with anxious eyes. He was up off the bed in a flash, grabbing me in his arms and darting out of the room. When we got down the stairs – the full three seconds later – Alice, Jasper, and Esme broke through the doors.

"Alice," Edward said, it sounded like an order. Alice looked at him with wide eyes. I turned then to see Rosalie come in. "Alice, tell me everything." She turned to Esme and Jasper, they both nodded. I looked at Rosalie to see if she had any idea as to what in the world was going on, but she looked just as clueless as I was. "Esme, Jasper, please switch with Carlisle and Emmett." With that, they were off.

We stood in silence and I guessed Edward was listening to Alice's story in her head. I was about to ask a few times what was going on, but I kept convincing myself I didn't want to hear it. Finally, Emmett and Carlisle stepped through the front door, hair disheveled from running.

"Edward, you needed to speak with us?" Carlisle inquired.

Edward looked down at me cautiously. I nodded and he turned back to Carlisle. "Alice, Esme, and Jasper were hunting and they smelled Victoria," he shot me a quick glance and turned back to Carlisle. "Alice thinks the tracks are recent; less than an hour old. They followed it but it only lead to the La Push border. I was about to call Jacob just as you stepped in." he pulled out the silver cell phone and dialed a number quickly. "Jacob, yes, yes. We smelled her, have you—no. What? Yes, yes we know where that is. Yes, she's fine… No, that won't be… not a bad idea, dog. Have him call as soon as possible. We'll meet soon." He hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket.

"Edward, what… what's going on?" I stammered. He looked down at me with apologetic eyes.

"Jacob just said that he's going to get his father to occupy him in La Push so we won't have to watch him. He's also going to have three _wolves_," his voice contorted the word, "with him, so he will be safe. It's so we can have all of us together. We're meeting them as soon as Esme and Jasper get back to talk strategy."

I couldn't believe it. My boyfriend and his vampire family and my best friend and his pack of werewolves were meeting t talk about killing someone to save little old me. That's it. The only reason they were even going to such lengths. The guilt built up in me like soda fizzing that's about to explode.

**A/N: oohhhhh, drama! :D hehe, there are only 2 chapters left!  
i started writing my second fan fiction today, but i need suggestions! leave them in reviews!  
and yeah, i'm obsessed with reviews. hint hint. hehehe, goodbye!**

**POLL:  
does everyone like those aim conversations between the characters? so many people have them and i like them, but i was wondering if other people did. i'll make one if everyone likes them. or i'll do it anyway, idk. post answers in a reviewww.**


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: i don't own Twilight. blah blah.**

It took Esme and Jasper roughly five minutes to get home. Apparently it took very little persuasion to get Charlie to go fishing with Billy in La Push. The second Esme and Jasper walked through the door, it was straight to business.

"We're going to have to meet them in the clearing. Jacob will be bringing the entire pack with them, so brace yourselves. I'm going to have to speak for them again, they still don't feel comfortable, especially with Victoria around," Edward announced, grabbing my waist and pulling me to his side.

"Oh, my," breathed Esme. Carlisle put his arm around her petite shoulders. A few things clicked in that moment, causing chaos in my head. Why was everyone so nervous all of a sudden? If there was truly no danger, than why is everyone reacting this way? Was there something they're keeping from me? I shook my head. No, if there were danger they would tell me…

"What's wrong, Bella?" asked Jasper. Darn, he could read my emotions. "You're confused. Why?" Edward looked down at me then, I could tell he was dying to read my mind.

"Well, if there really isn't any danger, then why does everyone seems so… nervous?" I asked.

"Bella," Carlisle spoke, I turned to him. "Our only concern is in regards to Victoria being so close to Forks, to you," Edward pulled me closer to him.

"Oh, okay," relief washed through me. I turned to Jasper – who was smiling - and stuck out my tongue. I heard Emmett and Edward snicker. I turned back to Edward who was now looking at Carlisle and I saw him nod quickly. Suddenly, I was being flung onto Edward's stone cold back. I looked around and saw everyone tense, and then we were off.

We reached the clearing in a shorter amount of time than I would have thought possible. Oh well, another perk of being a vampire, I suppose. When we ran past the rim of trees I could start to see the sun rise through the clouds. I hoped the Cullen's wouldn't be sparkling in the sun's rays; it would make the wolves even more on-edge. We stopped slowly and Edward pulled me off of his back gently. He reached for my hand and brought it to his cheek. I blushed and looked around me. The others were now walking as well, eyes darting around, nostrils flared. The clearing brought back horrible, horrible memories. Memories that would never escape me; the memory of the happy-go-lucky evening that ended by being hunted by a sadistic vampire. I shuddered at the thought. Edward looked down at me.

"What's wrong?" he asked, rubbing soothing circles on the back of my hand.

"Its just… when I'm here I think that Victoria is near me. Like she can see me or something," I mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed. Edwards eyes widened with concerned and we stopped walking. He took my head in his hands, forcing me to look at him. Using all the force of his topaz eyes on me, he spoke slowly.

"Bella, you have absolutely no reason to be worried. Your safety is my number one priority. Nothing will happen to you, please, grasp that," he murmured. I believed him, but it wasn't my safety I was worried about.

"Yes, I believe you, but it's just that… I'm not worried about me. I'm more concerned with you, with your family, with the wolves," I choked up a little. Edward rolled his eyes and gently pushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Why does that always surprise me? I swear you have no self preservation whatsoever," he mumbled. "Bella, I assure you, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. We all can take care of ourselves." Unsure how to answer, I nodded, biting my lip.

We started walking faster to catch up with the others that were now towards the middle of the clearing. I squinted, searching for the familiar glow of a pack of wolves. I found them, for they were impossible to miss. I counted the pairs over and over again. There were six; six bright eyes staring in our direction at the edge of the trees. Edward came to a sudden halt, causing me to gasp. I looked back at him, only to find him smiling crookedly at me. I smiled back and turned to the rest of the Cullen's. They had all stopped and were now looking at Edward. I mimicked them and Edward spoke.

"Wait here. They're going to come out and meet us." He explained. I tensed a little. I saw Edward look at Jasper and nod once. Suddenly I was overcome with complete and total relaxation. I smiled and mouthed a 'thank you' to Jasper, who winked and smiled in return. I looked back at the wolf eyes that were now starting to get higher up. I gulped and bit my lip as the enormous wolves walked towards us. Edward squeezed my hand and kissed my head. "It will be alright." He whispered. I nodded absentmindedly and continued to stare wide-eyed at the wolves.

They were massive; approximately the size of horses. I could vaguely make out each wolf from past experiences. The largest, Sam, was in the front, followed shortly behind by the second largest, Jacob. Flanked on either side, were Embry and Quil. The next two were unrecognizable. I went back to looking at Jacob, who I found looking at me. I smiled warmly, hoping it would ease some tension. It helped a little, I could see his eyes warm for a few seconds, but froze back over to the cold expression. He was still angry with me and was clearly not happy about the circumstances. The monstrous wolves stopped a few yards away and slowly sunk to the ground. I heard a loud sigh from each of them as they reached the cold ground.

Carlisle smiled warmly at the wolves and – flanked by Emmett and Jasper – took a step closer. "Welcome," Carlisle greeted.

"Hello," Sam's cool voice startled me from Edward.

"Well, I guess I should start off by saying thank you. You don't know the relief it is, knowing there is someone else around to help," Carlisle smiled, beaming nothing but sincerity. "We're here to tell you the very recent news about Victoria," there was a grumble amongst the wolves at the mention of her name. Carlisle ignored them and continued, "Jasper, will you please explain?"

"Of course," said the clearly uncomfortable Jasper, stepping forward just as Carlisle stepped back. He took a large gulp before explaining what he, Esme, and Alice had had seen. The wolves listened in silence for the most part, an occasional grumble erupting throughout whenever Victoria was mentioned. I wondered what Edward heard they were thinking. When Jasper was done and clearly proud of himself, he stepped back, letting Carlisle step into the 'spotlight'.

"As you can see, we've done everything within our power to capture Victoria; we'd very much like to know what, if anything happened on your side of the line."

"Of course," Sam's voice called. "That… Victoria walked over past the territory line. Seeing it as an opportunity to finally capture her, Jacob, Quil, and Embry were sent to find here. They found a trail leading from the border. They followed it for about a mile where it led to the water's edge. She must have swum away because we completely lost the trail." I heard Esme gasp and felt Edward stiffen. I immediately looked up at him, but his eyes were focused on Alice. Jasper – sensing the wolves' confusion – explained, "Alice sees the… future. She sees what will happen once the decision has been made. It's not fool proof, but its enough. Please, excuse me." He slunk back next to Alice, hands on her delicate shoulders. Alice looked up at Edward with terrified eyes. Edward nodded and pulled me so close I could hardly breathe.

"Alice! Alice! What did you see?!" asked Jasper, borderline hysterical.

"Victoria… she is at Bella's house. Bella isn't there, but Charlie is. Someone is always with him, I don't understand…" Alice trailed off, closing her eyes. I shuddered and heard a growl of anger roll through the wolves.

"Anything else?"

"Yes, she just went into Bella's room. She heard Charlie and is going downstairs. Oh! It disappeared!" she shrieked, her eyes opening. "The wolves," she said simply." There was a rumble once again amongst the wolves.

"Please, she didn't mean anything offensive. She just can't see you. Whenever werewolves are involves in anything, Alice can't see your future. We don't have an explanation, just theories. I apologize," Carlisle urged, trying to calm the wolves. They calmed down and Edward spoke again.

"One of our own, they contacted us. Charlie just left from La Push. If you'll excuse us…" Sam's cool voice ended and Edward's began. "No, if you don't mind, this is on our side. Backup would be unneeded," he spoke, reaching for me to take a place on his back. I was hesitant, hoping that his words wouldn't offend the wolves. "We will very willingly go with, but if you think its necessary, it _is_ your side of the line. But we will be at no fault if anything goes wrong." There was a grumble of annoyance among the wolves; they obviously didn't like giving up.

"Of course, you have no idea our level of thankfulness. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'd like to end this. Once and for all," Carlisle said sweetly, turning toward the trees. Every vampire followed, Edward included. He pulled me onto his stone cold back and began to walk to the forest's edge. That's when I noticed one wolf lingering back while the others retreated. Jake.

"Edward," I whispered, "turn around, I need to talk to Jake."

"We need to go, he's planning on coming with us," he murmured, I froze.

"Jake, no!" I cranked my head around to plead.

"Bella, relax. He will be fine. I promise everyone will be fine." By this time everyone was out of sight, barreling towards my home.

"Please, let me just talk," I begged. Edward closed his eyes and put his fingers to his temples.

"Bella, you will be able to talk to him when this is over. The other's are at the house now. Please, lets just finish this." He spoke slowly, as if talking to a two-year-old.

"Edward, please," I begged one last time. Two things happened in that moment. A light breeze caught the air and Edward stiffened.

"Yes," he answered Jacob's unspoken question. Within a second we were at the edge of the forest, Jake running full speed towards us.

"Edward, she's here, isn't she?" I gasped, realizing I'd asked without thinking. She _was_ here, I could sense it. I could sense her presence, and it frightened me to death.

Edward slowly lifted a hand to put it to my cheek. "Yes," he breathed.

**A/N: HOLY CRAPBALLLSSS. A CLIFFEE! how are you going to survive?! hehehe. you have to read tomorrow!  
i think i'm going to wait a day or two to post my next story. maybe... monday? idk. i'm busy this weekend.**

please! if you have any suggestions for the final chapter with victoria, lemme know. i have it all done, but i think i want to change things around. tehe

**REVIEWS PUH-LEASE :)**


	12. Chapter 12

I froze in my place. Victoria… was so close… to… Edward and I… and Jake! They needed to get out of here! I could feel myself shaking, on the verge of convulsing, actually, but I couldn't stop. I felt Edward's cold hands grasp my arms, but they felt so distant. Like it wasn't actually me feeling them, like it was someone else.

"Bella, I assure you it will be okay. Everyone will be fine, no one will get hurt. Except for her…" Edward growled. I tried to look around, but I couldn't see anything. My eyes were fogged up with tears. They spewed over the edge, causing a horrible sobbing coming out of my chest. Edward turned me around, cradling me in his arms. "Shh, shh, Bella. This will be over very, very soon. Shh." He crooned.

"But… I… and… you… and Jake…" I felt a little cold nudge on my back from Jacob's nose. I turned and wiped my eyes. I saw his eyes wide with concern for me and I turned back to Edward. His eyes were filled with love and worry. I realized then I was being stupid. They needed to focus and I was getting in the way. "I'm so sorry." I mumbled.

Edward dropped me carefully so I sat on the cold ground and kissed my forehead. I looked around myself until I found what I was looking for. About 50 feet away I spotted her. Her fire-red hair blew in the wind, looking like actual fire. I shivered and watched Edward and Jacob move in front of me. Edward crouched down defensively and let a deafening snarl escape from his lips. Jacob did the same, his lips curl over his razor sharp canine teeth. He looked like a rabid dog about to attack. I held my breath and watch the fight unfold.

Victoria stumbled back at the sight of the enormous wolf. That seemed to please both Jacob and Edward, because they each let out a low, menacing chuckle. Her eyes grew huge as they took in the group protecting me, but the moment they landed on me, they became full of hate. She snarled and pulled her lips over her teeth, staring me in the eyes. She took a crouch forward, preparing to pounce. The second her toes lifted off the ground, Edward pounced in half the time. They collided in mid-air and fell to the forest floor with a loud crash.

"Nice try," Edward scoffed as he pinned her to the ground when Jacob trotted behind. Edward nodded and the massacre began. They each took swipes and pieces from her, throwing them on the floor. The scream coming from her was ear splitting.

It took about five minutes for the pair to finally finish dismembering the body. Edward had taken the last swipe saying "Bella did nothing to you, yet you were going to end her life. Therefore, we're ending yours."

I couldn't stop staring. Throughout the entire slaughtering, I kept my eyes locked in place, never moving. When it was over, I finally allowed myself the freedom. I saw Jasper on the edge of the trees. Clearly he was the only one who could handle this correctly. He walked over when it was over and helped Edward and Jacob pick up the body parts and put them into a large pile. Jasper lit the pile and I watched the purple flames rise. I turned to the faces of my protectors to see something I never thought I'd see. Concern, at least in Edward's, anyway. In Jacob's there was only excitement and pride.

"Bella," Edward crooned, "Bella, its okay, its over." Why was he comforting me? I looked down to realize I was in the fetal position, knees up to my chin. I relaxed my pose and stood up. I instantly felt faint, but pushed forward. I ran over to Edward as fast as my weak legs could carry me and threw myself at him.

Obviously surprised by the gesture, Edward stumbled backward, but caught himself. "Shh, shh," he whispered as he patted my hair. I had to read his eyes. I backed away from him and looked him straight in the eye.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Bella, you don't have to be afraid. It's all over," he mumbled again.

"Why do you keep saying that? I know it's over. I'm glad," I attempted to laugh, but failed miserably. Edward looked at Jasper with wide eyes.

"Really?" he asked. He turned to me after the silent conversation and hugged me closer. "Are you okay?" he asked me. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Of course I'm okay. Are you?" I asked, looking him over. He chuckled.

"Yes, not a scratch on me," he smiled proudly. I smiled back and hugged him again. "Thank you, Jacob," I heard him murmur. I whipped my head around to look at Jacob, who was now running to the forest where he came from.

"Jacob!" I yelled after him, voice hoarse.

"He said you're welcome and that he needs to go," Edward said, placing a hand on my cheek. I instantly felt guilty. I hurt him, again. I was always hurting him. And here he was, protecting me, even when I didn't deserve it.

"Bella, don't worry about him. Not now. Let's get you out of here," Edward said, hoisting me onto his back. Before he could start, I pressed my hand against his face softly and kissed his neck.

"Thank you," I whispered. He smiled and pulled out my hand and kissed it.

"Anytime, love, you know that," he murmured. Without another word, we were off, running to my house.

**A/N: epilogue? tell me in a review! i'm sorry about the ending, there isn't much action. i'll work on that next time, but when i wrote this, i was just like 'UGH, i'm not going to make a 3 chapter fight' so i made it short, sweet, and to the point. sorry, really. i'll make much better endings from now on.**

**i'm working on my next story! i'm not sure what to do with it so far.**

**if you have any suggestions on any future stories, let me know! i'll be adding way more later, keep checking back in :)**


	13. Epilogue

"Bella, are you sure you want to go to the clearing? You know we don't have to if you don't feel comfortable," Edward murmured, pulling me against him.

It had been three weeks since the encounter with Victoria in the clearing, but I felt like it was yesterday. I was still having nightmares about it. Neither Edward nor I had visited the scene of the fight since that day, but I was determined to stop living in fear.

"No, Edward, I want to go. I want to get over this fear and stop worrying. This is the only way to help. If I go and see that it's not how I remember it from the last time I saw it, I might be able to get over it faster," Edward pulled me in closer and kissed my head.

"You never cease to amaze me. Did I ever tell you how brave you are?" he asked rhetorically. "Ready?"

"Yes," I answered. He picked me up and cradled me into his arms. I reached up to kiss his neck and he smiled down at me. Before either of us said anything, Edward leaped out of my window and landed to the ground with a small thud. He cautioned me with his eyes and turned me so I was stationed on his back. I shut my eyes tightly and ducked my head under my arm before he began to run.

The trip to the clearing was shorter than I remembered. Maybe because the whole time I was panicking on not having a heart attack when I got there. Before I knew it, Edward skillfully pulled me off his back and set me down on the soft, mushy ground. "There, safe and sound," he murmured before his lips found mine. It momentarily dazed me - most likely what he intended to do - and I forgot all about my worries, but the second we stopped, they flooded back in. "You wanted to do this, remember?"

"Yes, I do," I said. Taking in a giant breath, I looked around me.

The clearing looked the same way it always did. There were no sadistic vampires running around, hoping to kill me. There were no werewolves. There was nothing but Edward, the memories, and myself. I felt calmed when I thought about the baseball game. I ran through the entire evening in my head, smiling at times, but when I got to James, Laurent, and Victoria arriving, I quickly skipped over it.

"Better," I murmured, more to myself. Edward locked his stone cold arms around my waist and kissed the top of my head.

"Yes, much better," he murmured.

I would not be haunted by the clearing or that infamous night again, I swore on it.

**A/N: THERE YOU HAVE IT! :) the ending.  
i wrote a new story! its called "koda". please go to my page and read it :)  
also, review this story! i'd love to hear opinions so i can hopefully fix any mistakes in future stories!**


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